1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of consumer electronics, and in particular to recording and playback systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Most consumers have collections of recordings in one form or another. Records, tapes, CDs, DVDs, and the like are the conventional media for these recordings, each having a corresponding means for playing back the recorded information on demand. Conventionally, racks and similar devices are used to contain these recordings. Various methods are used by consumers to order the arrangement of the recordings within their storage racks: alphabetic by author, alphabetic by title, grouped by genre, color-coded tagging, and so on. A selection of a particular recording requires locating the appropriate disk or tape on the rack and placing it in the playback device. After playback, the recording is placed back on the rack, in it""s appropriate order. The physical handling and ordering task can be particularly problematic in a multi-user environment, such as a home.
With advancing technology, some playback devices are configured to allow for the storage of hundreds of disks, akin to a prior-art xe2x80x9cjukeboxxe2x80x9d that allows for the selection of individual songs without physically handling the recorded media. These devices often include automated playback selection by genre or other categorization, random playback, and so on. Although these devices ease the media handling task, and facilitate an improved method of categorization and organization, they have a fixed physical limit. When a user""s collection exceeds the capacity of the storage-playback device, the user must either replace the existing device with a larger capacity device, if available, or select a portion of the collection for storage and organization in the storage-playback device. Purchasing a second, or third storage-playback device is not a currently practical option, because the organization and playback control capabilities of current devices are isolated from each other.
Many consumers have more than one playback device for a given medium. In a multi-playback environment, a user must typically physically divide the collection, allocating select recordings to each playback locale. For example, a user may have a few CDs in an automobile, a few CDs in an office, and the remainder of the collection in a family room. Alternatively; copies of the recordings are made, and distributed to each locale, but the recording task is typically somewhat cumbersome, requiring the finding and loading of a blank medium, creation of a label, and so on.
It is an object of this invention to provide a device and method for creating a collection of recordings that can be readily accessed. It is another object of this invention to provide a device and method for creating a collection of recordings that is easy to create and categorize. It is another object of this invention to provide a device and method for creating a collection of recordings that is easy to expand and modify. It is another object of this invention to reduce the storage requirements for a collection of recordings. It is a further object of this invention to provide a device and method for accessing databases of information relating to items contained in a collection of recordings. It is a further object of this invention to provide a means of protecting a collection of recordings from loss. It is a further object of this invention to provide a visual interface to access a collection of recordings. It is a further object of this invention to provide a hierarchical visual interface to access a collection of recordings.
These objects and others are achieved by providing a collection management system, or virtual jukebox, for a collection of recordings that is independent of the physical media upon which the material is recorded. The system forms a part of a network that includes storage media and playback devices, and provides an easy to use system for collection cataloging, archiving, and retrieval. In a preferred embodiment, a collection management system resides on a consumer electronic (CE) device, or a personal or home computer (PC), and the collection includes recordings that are stored on one or more hard drives associated with the CE device or the PC.
The collection management system includes a user interface that facilitates the retrieval of recordings for playback from one or more storage devices, based on an individual selection of genre, author, and so on. By storing the recordings on a hard disc drive or other mass storage device with an associated disk operating system, immediate access is available to each recording on the drive, and additional drives can.be added to the system as new material is added to the collection.